Gleaming
by SladesDaughter
Summary: Takaya Hanajima was as normal a teenager as possible. She lived in an orphanage, but she did her best. But soon, her life, and the life of a local billionaire, will be changed forever, and what little love they have left in their hearts will be set free..
1. Dark Alleyways

Yay! Yet another wonderful story! - This one was based on a dream I had. Yes I really did dream this, believe it or not. I changed some stuff to make it story-worth, but the main idea was all from the dream. And I've changed my writing style to a more descriptive perspective. Enjoy!  
  
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Takaya threw herself down on the cold bus bench drawing a worn and tattered bus schedule from her old patched-up duffle-bag. She opened it, taking care not to rip the pages, and scanned it. After about a minute or two of reading through it, she found the right bus for her destination. Bus #32. She looked up from the yellowing pamphlet just in time to see bus 32 pull away from the stop.  
  
Flustered, she jumped up from the bench, grabbed her duffel, and sprinted after the bus. A sudden gust of early winter wind blew her uncontrollable mass of black corkscrew curls in her face. Not being able to see, she tripped over her shoelace and fell face first to the pavement.  
  
She stood up, her hands and knees stinging from the fall. She stared, out of breath, as the city bus ran a red light and turned a corner, out of sight. She blew a lock of curl away from her face, picked up her fallen bag, and started down the sidewalk, cursing under her breath. She would have to walk home again, seeing how she missed the bus.  
  
She stopped for a moment, as snowflakes had just begun to fall. She leaned against a lamp post, closing her eyes. The feel of snowflakes on her face felt good after a day of working at the Laundromat.  
  
A loud screeching sound caused her to open her eyes. She jumped out of the way of a long black stretch limo, landing on her hands and knees again. The car slammed into the lamp post she had just been leaning against. The hood ornament, a Blue Eyes White dragon, broke off the front of the limo and landed on the ground near Takaya with a soft clink. Takaya got to her feet and dusted herself off, her hands and knees were now bleeding a bit.  
  
A tall man in a chauffeur's uniform jumped out the drivers' side and hurried over to Takaya. "Goodness gracious, are you okay?" he asked frantically.  
  
Before she had time to let out a simple, 'I'm fine', the dark window of the backseat of the limo opened a little less than an inch, and out of the small gap came the cruelest, most hateful voice she had ever heard in her entire life.  
  
"Hutchinson! Forget the imbecile and get to work fixing the damn car! According to my schedule, we should have been home by now!"  
  
The driver, still apologizing, lifted the hood of the car, releasing billowing black smoke from the engine. Takaya took this as her cue before the voice in the car decided to direct its wrath at her.  
  
Making for the general direction of the Children's Home, she rubbed her arms against the bitter cold of the late November air. The wind blew, chilling her to the bone. The once canary-yellow sweater she was wearing was thinned and faded from continual washings. Anyone could tell it was a hand-me-down.  
  
"Maybe I should take a short cut," she mumbled to herself, glancing at her watch, then down the nearest ally. It was getting late. No one at the Bonnibelle's Children's Home really cared whether she came back or not, but she really hated being stuck outside after dark.  
  
Although the sun was still far from setting, the streetlights above her flickered on, warning the approaching night. Takaya was resolved; either spend the night in city hall again, or take a short cut home, and she really wasn't looking forward to being chased by security guards again.  
  
She pulled her flashlight and flicked it on as she slipped into the dark alleyway.  
  
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Well there you have it! A new chapter of a new story. I decided that I'm only posting every Saturday, and only if I've received 3 reviews. I'll be answering 3 in every chapter, so R&R! 


	2. Old and New Faces

Holy cow! It's been less then 3 days and I already got 10 reviews!! New rule, I get a review, I start a new chapter. I post that new chapter after I get 3. Then I answer as many reviews as I can in that new chapter. How's that work?  
  
-Dark Angel: Well I made Seto that mean cause, you know, he Seto (the character in the car), and you have to admit that's the way he acts. And no, the story will not get too mushy.  
  
-LazerWulf: I'm glad you liked it. All of your questions will be answered in time. :-)  
  
-Kakashiismine: Well, this is the first time I've ever gotten a response like that!  
  
-Hutchy: Whoops. Well your dad isn't a Chauffeur is he?  
  
-Kaiba's Slave: Yes it is horrible. The stupid driver endangering the innocent life of a poor Billionaire who hasn't done a single thing wrong to anyone in his entire life! (Heh heh)  
  
I want to thank Lazerwulf for the tile of this chapter. On with the story!!  
  
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The ally was a lot darker than Takaya had expected, and the fact the batteries in her flashlight were giving out really didn't help much. She sighed as she walked through a large puddle, soaking her shoes. Great. First it starts to snow, then it starts to get dark, then her shoes are soaked in a mud puddle. Just great.  
  
Hearing the sound of footsteps behind her, she stopped. The footsteps stopped too. She took a few more steps. She heard a few more steps behind her. She whipped around and shone her flashlight everywhere. Nothing; the ally was empty.  
  
Her heart beating slightly faster, she took a few steps backward, bumping up against something large and flat. She dropped her flashlight in surprise, plunging the ally into total darkness.  
  
"Crap!" she muttered. She turned to what she had bumped into and put her hand out. It landed flat on a wall. Her heart slowing down, she sighed in relief. "Its just a wall," she told herself. "A perfectly harmless wall."  
  
"I on the other hand," said a bone-chilling voice behind her "will not be so harmless."  
  
Before she had time to turn a round, a hand grabbed her by the neck, slamming her against the wall with a piercing grip.  
  
"Hold still, my dear, and I just might spare you your life!" Takaya could now tell it was a man's voice. Whoever he was, he was running a hand softly down her back. Closing her eyes tight, she shivered. She had heard of people being dragged off the street getting raped before, but she never thought it could happen to her.  
  
The man seemed delighted in her fear. "Scared now are we?" he asked in mock kindness. His other hand grabbed to Takaya's shoulder, and swung her to the ground, pinning her down on her front. She was now finding it hard to breath.  
  
"What do you want from me?" she managed to choke out.  
  
He flipped her over on her back, one hand on her neck, one holding her shoulder down. Suffocated, Takaya's hands flew to the one on her neck, trying to pull the hand's iron grip away, but it only tightened. "I just want what you denied me of so long ago!"  
  
Wondering who the hell this guy was, Takaya found enough courage to open her eyes. The alley was still dark except for a small dim light coming from a wand type thing in the man's hand. It had a large round ball with an eye and wing-dings on it, sticking out from a long golden handle.  
  
She looked away from the wand to the man, and then wished she hadn't. She was looking into the darkly tanned face of, not a man, but a teen. His spiky hair fell over his face as his terrifying purple eyes glittered maliciously.  
  
She had no idea who this guy was, but she certainty wasn't going to stick around long enough to find out. She quickly brought up a knee into the guy's stomach, temporarily knocking the wind out of him. Taking advantage of the moment, she pushed him off of her, and took off down the ally towards the main street.  
  
Takaya's attacker slowly pulled himself up slowly, laughing manically. He raised his wand at her just as she reached the street, throwing her back 30 feet and slamming her against the wall. A purple aura appeared around her wrists and ankles. "Thought you could escape that easy?"  
  
Struggling against her binds, she came up with an idea. "If you let me go now, I won't go to the police later," she offered.  
  
He just laughed cruelly. "You won't be going to the police, because you won't live to see the light of day!" He took the round part of the wand in his hand withdrew it from the handle, brandishing a long silver dagger. He grinned as he raised it above his head, bringing it down across Takaya's chest.  
  
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Seto Kaiba tapped away at his sleek high-tech laptop. He was waiting for his limo driver to fix the car. Finally, fed up with waiting, he shut his laptop, jerked open the door, and made for the sidewalk.  
  
The limo driver looked up from the engine, his sleeves rolled up and his face covered in motor oil. "Sir, where are you going?"  
  
The young billionaire just kept walking. "I'm going to walk home. It's apparent you're not going to fix the damn limo anytime soon." The limo driver returned to his work, not wanting to be fired.  
  
Kaiba paused in his steps when he stepped on something buried in the snow. He bent down and unearthed a small Blue Eyes White Dragon hood ornament. He cursed as a picture of the girl from earlier popped up in his mind. Stupid girl. Thanks to her he had to walk home.  
  
Pocketing the small dragon, he continued on his way home to Kaiba manor. Picturing his younger brother he smiled a genuine smile. It turned to a frown when he heard a scream of terror. He stopped and glanced down the alley he was passing. A small light and another shriek was emitting from the other end of it. Knowing he was going to regret this later, her turned on a flashlight that was built into his collar and ran down the alley.  
  
(A/N: I was going to stop the chapter here, but thought otherwise. BE GRATEFUL!)  
  
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The shrieking grew louder as he got nearer to the source. Something made him run faster; what it was, Seto didn't know. When he reached the end of the ally, he found, who else, Marik. He had a girl held to the wall with his rod. Her head was fallen at her shoulder so he guessed she was unconscious. Her yellow sweater and blue-denim jeans were stained with blood. He smirked at Marik. "So this is how you entertain yourself." He laughed. "You're more pathetic then I imagined."

Marik laughed. "I happen to know you're just as bad! Would you like the next turn? You'll have to supply your own weapon though, seeing as this one is mine."  
  
"Not a chance." He jumped backwards onto a stack of crates. Marik rammed into the crates, and Kaiba jumped into the air. He landed on Marik's shoulder, causing him to tumble forward. Kaiba jumped again and landed in front of the girl. Why did he care so much? "Do you want to leave now, or do you need more persuading?"  
  
"Ha! You haven't seen the last of me Kaiba!" he waved his Millennium Rod and phased through the wall behind him. The binds on the girl let loose and she tumbled forward into Kaiba's arms.  
  
Just by glancing at her cuts and bruises, he could tell she was badly wounded; He knew if he left her in the ally, like he wanted to, she would surely die before morning. Cursing under his breath, he ran out of the alley, and sprinted in the direction of Kaiba Manor, the girl's body limp and lifeless in his arms.  
  
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Wow. That was an awfully long chapter guys! For this one, I expect hmmmmmmmmmmm 3 reviews. At the least. Even if all you say is, "That was good!" I may not answer it in the next chapter, but it counts.


	3. Dancing Rituals

Sorry it took so long guys. I've had some –erm- problems that have kept me away from writing for so long. I get to go back to school in 10 days. THE BIG COUNTDOWN. Okay, time to start answering reviews!

-LazerWulf: Well, I could explain every future mishap of this story in incredibly long detail….. So I will! You see, Seto will- :is attacked by her yami side who bounds and gags her:

Note: Due to the tragic disappearance of the author, Steph's Yami side will now answer the rest of the reviews. (Don't worry, she's not evil or anything) Thank you for your patience and understanding.

-Amme Moto: Well, if Steph were conscious right now, she would tell you it was the normal, still-evil Marik that attacked Takaya. So I'm sure she's decided to not accept your review as a flame, but instead constructive criticism. :beams: Steph would be proud me!

-ChaosMagicianGirl: Well under strict –forced- oath, I cannot tell you anything about the story, but I can tell you that Marik and Takaya have some sort of a history together.

-Han Futsu; Anti Normal: Geesh buddy, you have a heck of a name to type! And even though Marik turns good eventually, he makes a good evil villain for this story. He's also the villain for the other story, Nothing Gold Can Stay, which, might I add, will be updated soon. Oh and do you by any chance read Fruits basket?

-Edie: Well since she didn't review I cant gosh darn say a thing! Holy crud. Did I just say GOSH DARN? This is horrible! The Egyptian is being rubbed out of my skin! I am –dare I say it- BECOMING A NORMAL TEENAGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOOOOOOO!!

Note: Due to the fact Yami Steph is having an episode, and real Steph is, well, conked out, we will post this chapter as planned, but don't be expecting for wither of them to be around to comment afterward. Thank you again for your patience and understanding.

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Takaya heard voices above her, but they were hard to make out, and she couldn't even tell what species they were. Human naturally, but were they women voices? Men? The smell of rubbing alcohol was starting to burn her nose hairs off, it was so strong. She realized she was in a hospital of some sort. But why? Had she fainted on the street or something? She stopped in her thoughts a moment to concentrate on the voices.

"She's doing fine Mr……." she caught the beginning of a woman's sentence, thought she didn't hear all of it. She must have Mr. Who? The she remembered her ordeal in the ally. Had someone rescued her? Was this mystery man her savior?

"Yes… cuts…… healing…… nurse…. Stupid idiot," was what she caught. She decided she must have been giving a whole lot of painkillers, because she was finding it a little hard to think strait. But she could tell from the voice of this man that he was not her hero. His voice was cold and harsh. Very familiar, yet she couldn't put a finger from where she heard it.

She felt someone take her arm and insert something sharp into it. It must have been more medication, because she drifted back to sleep.

_

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_

_She found herself arm in arm with someone, but she was too busy watching the ballroom before to look at him. In front of her were thousands of people, all in evening dresses and tuxedos. She looked down at her own clothes to find herself in one of her own._

_A voice announced something but she couldn't hear it, as she was too caught up in the sight of the ballroom, decorated as though for royalty. The man whom she was arm in arm with led her down the grand staircase in front of her. The crowd parted, until there was a large circle of floor in the middle of them all. She was led to the middle by the man who was still holding her arm._

_When he turned to face her, Takaya saw the most handsome face she had ever seen. Gorgeous brown hair falling over a softly smiling face. His smile was like the moon in the daytime. Although it was a special sight, it seemed as though it belonged. But what captured her was his eyes. They were gleaming like the sun on the ripples of the ocean. They were telling a fairy tale of love and romance. He slowly bent forward, and so did she, closing her eyes._

_When the kiss didn't come, she opened her eyes. She wasn't in the vast ballroom anymore, but in a small, darkly lit room. She was wearing a hooded purple robe, and was standing in a circle, among other cloaked strangers. They were all surround a baby carriage of hard rock. Among the bundles of blankets she could see a small baby, black hair barely visible on such a bald little head, sleeping unaware of the people around it. Standing over the baby was a man and little boy, also in hooded robes. Theirs were the only one's whose hoods were down._

_"Young Marik, your younger sister here has the eyes of earth as in the prophecy. She was meant for much greater things then tomb." The older man said._

_The little boy, about 4 years old Takaya guessed, looked down at the small baby with large purple eyes. She though she had seen this little boy before. Maybe at the Children's Home? He took his younger sister's hand. "But father, you had said I would be the one to live a life deserving of a normal person. You said I had eyes of earth."_

_The man seemed to hesitate a moment. "That's what we thought before young Shiet was born. When the prophet saw her eyes, she knew right away we had made a mistake."_

_The little boy's eyes filled with tears. "Then let me go with her father! She is my baby sister, and together we can live a life deserving of a normal person." _

_"SILENCE!" The man shouted, making the little boy back away from him. "You will stay, and when you grow older, you shall go through with the initiation. You shall live the life of a tomb keeper whether you like or not!"_

_Everything around Takaya hazed into a blank era of darkness. She shouted around her, hoping to find someone else, perhaps take her back to the ballroom, where she wouldn't have to think of the sight she just witnessed. She started running into the darkness, but tripped and fell. Instead of hitting the floor, as she had imagined, she kept falling…_

_And falling…_

_And falling…_

_And falling…_

_And falling._

* * *

Steph: Hey guys! I'm back from the dead! :raises her hands in the air as she waits for applause:

Yami Steph: You weren't dead, just knocked out.

Steph: Oh. Right. :arms fall back down to her sides:

Yami Steph: Alright guys, you know the drill. :thinks for a moment: How about we have a little fund-raiser?

Steph: ….. Where did that idea come from?

Yami Steph: Dunno, but how about it?

Steph: Teff!!! (That's what I call my yami by the way) We can ask our readers for money!

Teff: Sure we can! :sulks at look n Steph's face: Fine. Well how about we do a review fundraiser? When we get to one hundred reviews, we can take a request from any reader!

Steph: Now there's an idea. :faces readers: Okay guys, you heard that. Rules are you can only submit one review for chapter, and not if you've already submitted one. You have to make it a real review, with actual critique. You also can't review until you've read the chapter (I'll know if you haven't).

Teff: :doing a bad imitation of Porky Pig: Th-th-Th-th-Th-th-Th-th-Th-th that's all folks!


	4. Eyes of Earth

::Teff and Pegasus are on sofa watching TV::

Teff: I wanna watch Hello Kitty. ::flips channel::

Pegasus: But I want to watch Funny Bunny! ::grabs the remote and switches channel::

Teff: Hello Kitty! ::grabs remote::

Pegasus: Funny Bunny! :takes hold of remote::

Teff: ::wont let go:: Hello Kitty! ::tugs::

Pegasus: ::tugs:: FUNNY BUNNY!

Teff: HELLO KITTY! ::wacks him over the head with mallet::

Pegasus: ::dizzily:: Okey-day! ::faints::

Steph: ::walks in:: Um, Teff. What are you doing?

Teff: Um... Watching TV?

Steph: ::points to unconscious Pegasus:: What is he doing here?

Teff: Um... Getting hit by my mallet?

Steph: Okay! Works for me! Now let's answer reviews and get this story moving!

Teff: ::is concentrated on Hello Kitty:: Yah yah, whatever.

-Ha-chan: Yay for you on Reading Furuba! I have the 4th one, but am waiting for the fifth.

-Amme Moto: Yay! Cookies! ::Teff Wolfs them all down before Steph can even touch them:: Hey! I thought you were watching TV! ::Teff shrugs as she places her forehead back on the screen::

-Lazerwulf: ::in cheesy sensei voice:: Be patient young grasshopper. All your questions will be answered in time.

-Kaiba's Slave: Do you really think the limitations will drive them away? Oh, and just a reminder to everyone else, I take a request from a reader when I hit 50. (I know I had said 100 but I changed my mind. So sue me)

By the way, I would like to thank my dear friend Edie for letting me use Lonu in her story! Thanks bunches! ::tosses her Seto plushie::

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The smell of rubbing alcohol reached Takaya's nose as she regained consciousness. Her eyes fluttered open and she snapped them back shut, grimacing. The bright lights above her head were blinding her. Although it was nice to see something bright after her uber-dark dream, this was a bit much.

"I think I saw her move!"

"Now Mister Mokuba, when she does wake up, I don't want you pestering her."

"Aw, Lonu! You're no fun at all!"

Mokuba? Lonu? Takaya shifted in her bed, trying to get into a position to sit up. As soon as she moved, she felt fire spreading throughout her body, starting in her chest, flowing to every part of her body. She squeezed her eyes tight and groaned, stopping her movement.

"She looks like she's in pain," said the first voice again. It was small and kind of squeaky. It sounded worried too. Feeling a weight on her knees, she decided to open her eyes again. But this time it wasn't the bright light that greeted her, but two rather large brown eyes. She blinked. The eyes blinked.

The face backed up and she could see it more. She saw the eyes had a face, and that face was plastered with the biggest smile she had ever seen. She also saw that the face was attached to the body of a little boy, perhaps 9 or 10 years old.

"Hi! My name is Mokuba, what's yours?" He said all of this rather fast.

Takaya blinked. "Takaya," Mokuba smiled and jumped back, landing on the end of the bed.

"Can I call you Kaya?" He started playing around with the necklace around his neck. It was a duel monsters card on the end of a black cord.

The sight of the necklace made Takaya reach for her own, a long square piece of gold with Egyptian writing on it. It was there. She sighed in relief and let her hand drop. "Sure, if you want to," she said, answering Mokuba's question.

A rather round nurse with red pulled-back hair came up next to Takaya and handed her several pills. "Painkillers, scar-erasers, and numbing capsules for your acupuncture," she smiled a grin a little bigger than Mokuba's, if at all possible, handing her a glass of water. "By the way, the name's Lonu."

Takaya popped the pills and had the water halfway to her lips when she paused. "Wait a sec. Did you just say acupuncture?"

Lonu nodded and pulled out black box from a cupboard and opened it. "Yes, it will help the nerves in your legs after not using them for so long."

"I'm really not a needle person," she said, taking a drink of water. She paused again. What did Lonu mean, 'after not using her legs for so long'? "Wait. How long have I been asleep?"

Lonu paused, looking at her calendar. Mokuba beat her to it though. "A week and half," he said, as though he'd been counting the days.

"A week and a half?" Takaya paused, looking at her wrist. It was thin and pale. "No wonder I'm so hungry," she said, smiling a bit, trying to hide the fact she was shocked beyond belief. Mokuba laughed so hard he fell off the bed. Takaya leaned over the side of the mattress as far as she could without hurting herself. "It wasn't that funny."

Mokuba slowed down his laughing and stood up. "Sorry about that," he giggled, wiping away a tear of laughter. "It's just that there isn't much to laugh about around here. I don't usually laugh this hard, since it annoys Seto."

Her brow furrowed a bit. "Who's this Seto person?"

Lonu chuckled to herself a little bit. "Kaiba-san is the one who saved you dear."

Takaya's eyes widened at the name Kaiba. "You mean I was saved by the richest dude on the planet?"

Lonu shook her head a little and smiled. "I'm sure he wouldn't appreciate you calling him a dude, but in a nutshell, yes." She took a bottle of disinfectant from the cupboard, picked up the black box, and set them down next to the jar of cotton balls on the small table next to the bed. Kaya saw the bow had an assortment of needles in it.

Lonu saw her staring at the needles and sighed. "I know you said you don't like needles, but I can't think of any other way, unless you want to endure months of physical therapy."

Takaya shook her head and grabbed the sheets, pulling them over her head. "As long as I don't have to watch."

Lonu pulled the bed sheets off of her legs, rubbed on the disinfectant, and took the needles, one by one, sticking them in certain places. After the 5th one, there was a strong knock on the door. "Mokuba dear, would you wind getting that?" Mokuba got up from his chair and bounced over to the door.

Before Mokuba could even touch the doorknob, it yanked open by itself. "Lonu! It's Ni-san!" The teenage billionaire walked past his little brother, slamming the door behind him. Takaya couldn't see him from underneath the covers, but she could tell he was pretty mad. Or maybe he was always like this.

As Seto reached the bed, he could see that Lonu was performing acupuncture on the girl. He almost grimaced at the sight of her legs. Scarred, thin and pale. Seto wondered it the girls face looked the same. He had never seen her in daylight, so he couldn't be sure.

He turned to the lump in the bed he though to be the face. "Are you having fun?" He asked, sneering. Lonu rolled her eyes and mumbled something about rudeness. A pair of hands stuck up through the sheets and pulled them away, and Seto almost took a step back at the sight of her face.

It wasn't an ugly face. Oh no, quite the opposite. The face wasn't pale at all, but had a nice natural looking tan, even though it was the dead of winter. Even through the tan, you could see quite a bit of rosie color peeking through her cheeks. Her lips were perfectly curved, and he could just imagine them smiling up at him. She had thick, black corkscrew curls that tumbled down onto her shoulders, and her eyes. Seto could go on forever about her eyes.

Her eyes were wide and looked naturally alert, but their color was splendid. Near the pupil was a soft brown, and the brown blended perfectly into an emerald green, giving way to a shocking sky blue. The blueness, in turn, rounded out to the edge of her iris in a beautiful shining gold. They were eyes of earth. The soft rich soil sprouting growing green grass that gave way to a clear blue sky and the sun beyond. It was beautiful beyond words.

Takaya blinked up at the person who had spoken. On a normal account, she would have snapped back a clever remark, but she couldn't speak. It was the boy from her dream. It had to be! The evidence was all there! The soft brown hair, the blue eyes. But it wasn't him. The face wasn't soft, it was stone cold! And his mouth was turned in a permanent frown. And his eyes; they didn't have the same laughter at all! They were cold and icy, and just looking at them sent a shiver down her spine.

The room was silent for a moment. Then Mokuba cleared his throat, snapping them both back to reality. Takaya was the first to recover. "What are you staring at?" She snapped, a little louder then she meant to.

Seto sneered, making Takaya forget about the dream and made her want to slap him upside the head. "I was just thinking of a way to apologize for your current state, but you obviously don't deserve any pity," he scowled. "What's your name anyway?"

"Takaya Hanajima," she said, shooting him a glare.

He laughed cruelly. "I think I'll call you Taka-chan. A suitable name for an unsuitable person."

Luckily, Lonu had finished the acupuncture, and was getting fed up with Seto. "Now Kaiba-san, Takaya has been through quite an ordeal, and she needs peace." Takaya was amazed. She didn't think Lonu would be so brave against Kaiba like this, but she had no fear.

Apparently, neither did Kaiba. "Whatever Lonu. I don't know why you bother standing up for her, it's not like she's important." And with that, he turned on his heel and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

"What is the matter with him?" Lonu muttered to herself as she started removing the needles.

Takaya was still glaring at the door. "Probably nothing. He's just a reincarnation of the Devil."

"Please don't judge Ni-san too harshly Kaya-san," said a small, shaky voice. Takaya looked away from the door to see Mokuba standing next to her bed, looking very close to tears. "He just isn't very good with people, that's all."

Takaya smiled a small smile and opened her arms to him. He crawled up on the bed and sat on Takaya's lap. She hugged him, remembering doing this routine almost every day at the orphanage with different kids. "It's okay _chiccai ikko._" She said in a soft, soothing voice. "I'm sure he's a very decent person on the inside."

He looked up at her. "You honestly and truly think that?"

Takaya smiled. "There's goodness in everyone. And I'm sure of that."

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Hi guys! Just in case you're wondering, chiccai ikko means 'little one.' And once again, I'm sorry it took so long. The toy at McDonalds was Hello Kitty, and it took all my energy trying to keep Teffie here under control. Anyway, I'll have the next one up sooner, okay?


	5. You may stay

Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long! I haven't been daydreaming enough lately. But now I have the entire plot for Gleaming set out! **:cheers:** Hmm. **:checks how many reviews she has:** Hm. 31. We only need 100 reviews till the end of the story if you guys want me to take a request. Oh, and a note: "Chicken Soup for the Anime Soul" was taken off the site by whoever runs Fanfiction. Anyway, Lets answer reviews!

Enje Yekam: Shhh! **:looks both ways:** Seto might hear you! **:beams:** Glad you liked the story though!

Sakurelle: Oh really? May I ask what you're hunch is? Tell me! Or not, that's fine too! ;)

Amme Moto: The –san at the end of the names is honorific for Mr., Mrs., Ms., or Miss. Glad you're enjoying the story!

MidnightBallad: Glad you liked it! I have a bit of an obsession with eyes myself, as my eyes are quite boring. I'm quite boring. I need to get a life.

Alright! Let's get this stone rolling!

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After a while of talking, Mokuba left, leaving the room quiet and still. Lying back on her pillows, Takaya sighed. "If only be could find a way to bottle up all that energy, we could sell it for a lot of money."

Lonu chuckled, picking up a clipboard and a pen. "So tell me dear, do you love him as much as everyone else does? The older Kaiba I mean."

Takaya crossed her legs carefully. The acupuncture was taking its affect, so she couldn't feel any pain at all. "He could be nicer, but he saved my life, and I _guess_ I'm grateful for that."

Lonu took some neatly folded clothes from a drawer and set them on the bed. "Go ahead and get dressed dear, and while you do so, I need to ask you some questions."

So while Takaya dressed herself in the jeans, purple shirt, and white indoor shoes, Lonu went on ahead with the questions. They were easy questions, like "what's your full name" and "how old are you?"

"Okay dear, last question. Where do you live, and how can I contact your parents?"

She should have known that question would be coming. "Parents?" she asked hesitantly.

"Why of course! You're parents must be worried sick!" She paused, looking at the expression on Takaya's face. "Oh. Well that's just another thing you and Kaiba-san have in common then." She checked something down on her clipboard.

Takaya raised her eyebrows. "So you know…"

Lonu nodded. "That you live in an orphanage, yes."

"And Kaiba…"

Lonu nodded again. "Used to also live in an orphanage, yes."

There was an awkward silence for a moment. "Wait, what do you mean, 'one more thing we have in common?'"

Lonu chuckled as she headed for the door. "Hot-headedness, stubbornness, orneriness; just to name a few." She opened the door and turned back to Takaya. "A guard should be here soon to take you to Kaiba-sans office. I'll see you in a little while Kaya-chan." She winked, leaving and closing the door behind her.

After Lonu left, Takaya realized how empty the room was. Plain white curtains, a hospital bed. She scanned her eyes across the room. Her eyes caught on something gleaming on the dresser.

Walking over to it, she picked it up. It was the small Blue Eyes White Dragon figure from the hood of Kaiba's limo. It felt warm in her hands from the light of the small lamp it had been set under.

There was a knock on the door, so Takaya put the ornament in her cargo pocket and opened the door. A large guard stood there, wearing a black suit and sunglasses. He silently motioned for him to follow her, so she did.

Through the winding hallways, and up endless flights of stairs they went, finally came to a large door. No, this door was beyond large. Each door was as wide as six of her, and went all the way up to the ceiling.

The guard knocked on the door. "Sir, I have the girl," he said.

"Then send her in!"

The guard opened the door and let her in. As soon as she was in the room, the door slammed behind her, making her jump a little bit. She looked over at the desk, where Kaiba was glaring at her from behind a stack of paperwork.

"What are you waiting for? Get your sorry ass over here," he snapped.

Takaya tried to glare at him, but her face wouldn't let her. Instead, she blushed and looked down at the carpet. She quietly went to the desk and sat down in the chair in front of it.

"Well Taka-chan," he said, continuing his death-glare. "Both Lonu and Mokuba have asked me to let you stay here." He leaned back in his chair and put his fingertips together.

Takaya raised an eyebrow. And he was actually considering it?

"Lonu I could care less about, but since Mokuba asked, I've arranged to have you stay here for 2 weeks. If you can show me you deserve it, _and_ if you aren't a total embarrassment at my annual company Christmas dinner, you will be allowed to stay here as long as needed." He looked back down at his papers and started to write.

Not knowing what to do, Takaya sat in her chair for several moments. Realizing she hadn't left, Seto raised his eyes to her. "Are you going to leave or not?" he asked rudely. Nodding, Takaya quickly stood up and made her way for the door, blushing like a maniac.

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Yayness! I have finally gotten a chapter up! It's a sign of the apocalypse! AH! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! **::runs around in circles, eventually slamming into a wall::**


	6. Attack of the Man Eating Bed

Hello! Yes, a new chapter for all of you readers! I thank you for being so patient with me, and I owe you all a huge thank you! Well, why don't we answer reviews so I can get this story written and go watch anime.

ShibiChicken: Yes, if you noticed, I got permission from Edie to use Lonu. And I've seen your reviews to Kaiba's Slave too! If it wasn't for Edie, I might never get my chapters up! :)

Enjie Yekcam: Oh! Ehem. I don't think I made that clear. Takaya is 16. I thought it was obvious. Pre-teens don't often have jobs, and she called Mokuba "Little one" and held him in her arms as she would a little brother or something. I doubt someone his age would do that. Hope that's all clear now!

LazerWulf: And Kentucky to you too.

Amme Moto: See Enjie's answer.

MidnightBallad: Hey! That's my line!

Sakurelle: No! Anything but the Dragons! My Pineapples are NOT dragon-proof! But anyway, here's your new chapter!

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"Your room miss."

Takaya nodded up at the guard and stepped through the door, hearing it shut and give a soft _click _behind her. Locked in. She sighed, realizing she was not all that welcome in her new home.

Then looking at the room around her, she gave a slight gasp. This wasn't a room, it was a palace! Or it was big anyway. The only bedrooms she had ever seen were small cramped ones, with several beds pushed along the walls. This room was twice as large as those rooms, and there was a large bed along the farther wall. The wall across from the door held a large window, showing the western hills of Domino. The floors were hardwood, and the walls were a soft white.

Feeling rather dizzy being in such a large room, Takaya stumbled over to the bed and threw herself backwards on to it. Instead of bouncing off the surface, it seemed to swallow her whole. Being smothered in the sheets, she struggled to break free of the mattress, but failed dismally.

-.-.-.-.-

Seto stood outside Takaya's door, listening to hear if she was doing anything. Nothing. Stepping inside without knocking, he looked around. "Taka-chan," he said, expressing 'chan' rather rudely. He heard muffled talking from the bed, but when he looked, he saw nothing. Then he saw the sheets kick up a little bit. Then the corner of a white indoor shoe. Blinking, he walked over and moved the sheets a little. Now he saw a hand, grasping for something to hold onto. Amazed that the bed was that soft, he grabbed the hand and pulled.

Takaya came out of the bed, her hair everywhere, and gasping for breath. When set on her feet, she held onto the bedpost tightly. "This bed is _waaay_ too soft, said Goldilocks," she said, trying to smile while moving to fix her hair.

Still blinking, Kaiba just watched her. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he reminded himself why he came to her room in the first place. "Ahem," he said, clearing his voice, a little embarrassed. "You will join me for dinner now..."

Takaya shrugged and finished fixing her hair, having been able to tie it in a knot at the back of her head. As she made to follow Kaiba he shook his head. "An attendant will show you down shortly." And as he left, he made a mental note to have the mattress switched out…

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I'm sorry this is so short guys, but this will hopefully hold you over until the next chapter! :) Oh, and by the way, Kaiba calls her -chan as an insult not out of affection. ;P


	7. Shivers

Woot! Another chapter is in the bag! I typed the first part out on my type-writer. My brand new used typewriter. Yup! I wonder if I could sell it on E-bay…

I just got back from a doctors appointment. I had to get my tetanus shot. (sniff sniff) And I've got a mild case of Sclerosis or something (I thinks that's what it called. Something about the curvature of the spine). I've gotta go to the hospital and get some x-rays sometime soon. I'm not too worried, cause' they said I probably won't have to have surgery or anything.

Reviews!

Sakurelle: (phew) Thanks for sparing me the pineapples. I don't think my man-eating bed could shield me for too long against those. I hope you'll like this chapter!

MidnightBallad: Well go ahead and squeal your little heart out, cuz' I HAVE UPDATED!

Enjie Yekcam: Kaiba? Nice? _On purpose?_ (feels Enjie's forehead) Are you feeling okay?

Lazerwulf: Oooh. Cool. My friend's friend's cousin lives in Philadelphia. But you don't care do you?

ShibiChicken: I opened that email with the review in it and almost had a heart attack. I can honestly say that was the longest review I've ever gotten. Me, I was really annoying when I was 12 or 13 and was sending reviews. I would send reviews saying "PLEASE UPDATE" over and over and over. So it was like, 5 pages long. (slaps forehead) I feel so stupid now for doing that now. Sorry to all you people I did that to!

Kaiba's Slave: (flinch) I'm sorry! I can honestly say this chapter is a lot longer! Hmm… I wonder if I should start calling you Edie-sempai. (mwa ha ha ha)

And now that those have been answered, ON WITH THE FIC!

Chapter Seven: Shivers

Dinner was almost exactly as she imagined it to be. She was lead into the overly extravagant dining room by a graying lady dressed in a black and white maids' uniform, who only addressed her as "miss." She was lead to a long table covered in red velvet, and set strategically underneath several crystal chandeliers. On one end of the table were 3 straight-backed chairs, two of which were already filled with the bodies of Seto and Mokuba Kaiba.

"You're late," said the older brother, not abandoning his usual glare. "You were supposed to be down here five minutes ago." Takaya bit her tongue to keep from saying anything as she walked all the way down to the end of the table the two were sitting at. She sat herself across from Mokuba, who was swinging his legs happily beneath the table, blissfully unaware of his brother's rudeness,

"Now that our guest has finally arrived, why don't we bring in the food?

As if they had been rehearsed, the maids and butlers sprung forward with plates of food Takaya had never seen before. The butler who has sat hers in front of her had said something along the lines of "Feelay Miyone." _Never mind knowing what it is,_ she thought as she picked up the fork and started to eat. _I can't even pronounce it!_

While they ate, Mokuba talked full speed about a kid in his class at school who liked to eat paste. "One time, he dared me to eat some," he jabbered, "buy I said no, and called him a glue-eating sap like you told me to, nii-san!" He beamed up at his older, who nodded his approval over his dinner.

"Good for you," he said, taking another bite.

Takaya didn't feel this was something to be too proud of, but seeing as the only reason she was being allowed the stay there was because of Mokuba, she kept her mouth shut.

Swallowing his food, Seto tapped his wine glass with a spoon, a measure Takaya thought quite unnecessary, seeing as they were all sitting next to him, and cleared his throat. "Hagima," he said, purposely mispronouncing her name, "I would like you to take note that we will not be eating together like this every night. Unless you have been notified, you will eat in the kitchen with the hired help." He paused, looking at Takaya as she glared at her gleaming silverware. "You _do_ understand what I'm saying don't you?"

Silently steaming, she nodded her understanding.

"Good," he stood up and turned his back on the table. "You will be shown back to your room," he added, leaving the table.

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Seto typed away on his laptop late into the night. It was like this every night, and sometimes well into the morning. He had to get up early tomorrow, so he couldn't stay up all night. At 3:02am, he closed his laptop with a stifled yawn and made his way to bed.

He silently drifted down a flight of stairs and through the dark halls. Turning corners and passing through large empty rooms, he knew the hallways by heart. Rounding a corner, he bumped into a wall.

"Damn," he whispered, rubbing his nose. "Took a wrong turn." He opened a door to he left and found it was not another hallway. It was a bedroom. He heard a rustling from the bed and walked over to it, his eyes already adjusted to the dark. He saw a few black curls peaking out of the edge of the sheets. He pulled them back to reveal the small and fragile form of Takaya.

Her normally relaxed expression was hard and tightened. Her lips were line-thin and almost white. Upon further inspection, Seto found she was curled up in a ball, shivering despite of the many blankets she was beneath.

He sat on the edge of the bed and tucked a loose curl behind her ear, and immediately felt her flinch away, and tighten up, emitting a feeble squeak.

Frowning, he stroked her hair, which was matted to her head in a cold sweat. Little by little, she relaxed, and little by little, Seto's frown turned into a soft smile.

Standing up, he felt a something bulge in his pocket, and pulled out the small gleaming Blue Eyes White Dragon. He gently wrapped Takaya's fingers around the small figurine, and left the room, softly closing the door behind him.

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It's kinda funny when Setos spells Takaya's last name wrong, cuz my friend pronounces it that way when reading Fruits Basket (which is where I got all of Takaya's name, as I wasnt feeling very creative with names at the time) and I always yell at her for saying it that way. Eh heh heh... And Uachimaya's name came from this Japanese store that I live near. It's very cool, they seel a whole bunch of import stuff. Please Reveiw!


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